Wagon-brake



(No Model.)

J. A. GILKEY. WAGON BRAKE.

No. 602,319. Patented Apr. 12, 1898.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orrron.

JOSEPH ALLEN GILKEY, OF SPRINGFIELD, OREGON.

WAGON-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 602,319, dated April 12, 1898.

Application filed August 3, 1897. 7

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, JOSEPH ALLEN GILKEY, of Springfield, in the county of Lane and State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Wagon-Brakes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to wagon-brakes; and the object of the invention is to provide a spring adapted to be attached to the hounds or other fixed portion of the runningear, which spring will be so constructed and so located that it will take up all the slack in the brake and its coupling, and when the brake is not applied the said spring will act to carry and hold the brake beam and shoes or blocks away from the wheels to an extent which will effectually prevent mud accumulating upon the brake shoes or blocks.

A further object of the invention is to so construct a spring for the vehicle-brake that the said spring will serve to prevent the brake bar or beam from swinging endwise, while the action of the brake mechanism will not be interfered with in any manner.

The invention consists in the novel con struction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in. all the figures.

Figure l is a plan View of the rear hounds and the hind axletree of a vehicle, illustrating the application of the invention thereto. Fig. 2 is a section through the reach, showing the brake-bar and the brake-bar support in front elevation and likewise the spring for controlling the brake. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the spring, and Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the same.

A represents the rear hounds of a vehicle; B, a portion of the hind axle; O, the brakesupporting beam; D, the brake-beam; E, the brake shoes or blocks, and F the link connection between the supporting-beam and brakebeam. All of these parts above mentioned may be of the usual or of any approved construction.

The spring G, which is the improvement sought to be protected, is shown in detail in Serial No. 646,906. (No mo l- 7 Figs. 3 and 4. The spring is a. bow spring, its concaved face being its front face, and the spring terminates at each end in a hook 10, carried over its front surface. The central portion 11 of the spring is flat and horizontal, while at each side of the center of the spring the material 12 is given a half-twist, so that the said portions 12 stand vertically or at a right angle to the central portion, presentin g their side faces to the front and to the rear, the central portion 11 presenting its side faces upward and downward. The spring G is placed between the support 0 and the brake-beam D, the flat central surface 11 being secured by bolts, rivets, or like fastening devices to the under face of the rear hounds, as shown particularly in Fig. 1, and the hooks 10 of the springs are made to engage with the links F, connecting the brake-beam with its support. Thus the spring is bowed normally in direction of the front of the running-gear and will hold the brake-beam so far from the wheels that the brake shoes or blocks E cannot gather any dirt from said wheels. Furthermore, it will be observed that the spring serves to strengthen the hounds and will effectually prevent end movement of the brakebeanu, while at the same time the brake mechanism is free to'act to force the brake-shoes to the wheels, at which time the spring G will be placed under tension in a rearwardly direction. The moment that the brake-controlling mechanism is operated to release the brake-beam the spring G will automatically assume its forward curved position, carrying the brake-blocks out of possible contact with the wheels.

As heretofore stated, the spring, which is made of suitable metal, preferably steel, will take up all slack in the brake and its couplings and will effectually prevent the brakebeam from entering between the spokes of the wheel, since, as above stated, the beam is held against end movement. The spring also prevents the rattling which is incident to most vehicle-brakes, especially when the couplings become slightly worn. 7

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentg 1. In a brake, a controlling-spring for the brake-bar, the said spring being longitudinally curved, concaved at its forward face and provided with hooks at its ends, adapted to receive the link connections between a brake-beam and its support, the said spring normally holding the brake-beam away from the wheels and also serving to prevent end movement of the brake-beam.

2. In a brake, a controlling-spring for the brake-beam, the said spring being longitudinally curved, its forward face being concaved and its ends terminating in hooks which extend at the front, the material of the spring being likewise bent upon itself to form up right side sections and a horizontal central section, for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with the hounds of a vehicle, the brake-beam, the supporting-bar for the said brake-beam, and a connection between the brake-beam and supporting-bar, of a spring adapted to control the movement of the brake-beam and normally hold the said beam away from the wheels, the said spring.

being attached to the hounds and longitudinally curved, its concaved surface facing the front, the spring being further provided with hooks at its ends, facing the front, which hooks engage with the connections between the brake bar or beam and its support, as specified.

4. In a vehicle, the combination, with the running-gear, the brake-beam, the supporting-bearn, and links connecting the brakebeam with the supporting-beam, of a spring adapted to control the movement of the brakebeam in a manner to hold it normally from engagement with the wheels of the vehicle, the said spring being longitudinally curved, its forward face being concave, the said material of the spring being bent upon itself to form a central horizontal surface and vertical side surfaces, and end hooks facing the front, the hooks being adapted to engage with the connecting medium between the brake-beam and its support, the horizontal surface of the spring being arranged for attachment to the running-gear at a point between the brakebeam and the support for the same.

5. In a brake, a controlling-spring for the brake-beam, the spring being longitudinally curved and its forward face being concaved, the material of the spring being bent upon itself to form upright side sections and ahorizontal central section, the ends of the spring being constructed to engage the connections between the brake-beam and its support, as and for the purpose specified.

JOSEPH ALLEN GILKEY.

Vitnesses:

ZACHARIAII T. KINTZLEY, HERBERT E. WALKER. 

